According to proposals developed by the Council of Minister’s politico-military group, measures could include reinforcing the EU’s presence in Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the AU, and preparing guidelines to launch EU security sector reform missions more quickly.

The Council and the European Commission have been asked to come up with ideas to boost training and support for African peacekeepers as part of a wider EU drive to accelerate Africa’s development.

Africa is seen as one of the central battlegrounds in the EU’s attempt to prevent failed states, the spread of organised crime, terrorism and proliferation of weapons, some of the crucial threats identified in the EU’s security strategy.

Many African organisations have been under fire for their inability to prevent violence in areas where they have been deployed.

In Darfur, eastern Sudan, the African Union force has been unable to forestall attacks by government-backed militia that have killed thousands.

In May 2005 the EU launched a mission to reform the Democratic Republic of Congo’s military, the first mission of its kind in Africa.

The mission’s work has ranged from integrating rebel groups into the national army, to ensuring soldiers receive their pay.

According to the document agreed by the politico-military group, the EU now needs to prepare for similar missions elsewhere in Africa by creating a faster decision-making process.